Oh yeah, and it was a common household appliance when I was younger. You don't see the kind we used often anymore but here is a link to one.

I've never known sevin dust to burn a plant or distort the leaves.

Here is a link that might be useful: insecticide duster

Concur. Never had Sevin dust burn any plant even when used heavily. The best way to use dust is witha dust gun, either the pump model shown by calliope or a rotary type like Dustin Mizer. Only way to get under the leaves where insects like to hide and feed.

And I concur with farmerdilla. Only a very light dusting is needed and it should be applied uniformly to undersides as well as tops of leaves. Bugs eat only a little of it. :-) Only a duster can do this properly and it will pay for itself in the cost of dust it saves. The pump duster is good. The Dustin Mizer is terrific.

Jim

My advice is Sevin isn't safe for your edible crops anyways, there's a reason carbaryl is illegal in the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Denmark and Sweden.

I'm surprised that people are even still using Sevin, to tell the truth! It's one of those broad spectrum pesticides of the worst order, and is highly deadly not only to honey bees and other important beneficial insects, but to earthworms.

The use of Sevin often results in a pest resurgence, caused by the reduction of the army of critters that help control pests naturally.

If you feel you must use this pesticide, apply it with a tool that will dispense it in small doses and will put the chemical where you want it rather than all over the place.

You DO know that it's a cholinesterase inhibitor, don't you?

Yes, dust means barely visible. But it still should not harm your plant. Sometimes using pesticides is unavoidable as a last means of saving the crop. I prefer dusting bulbs like the one in the link.

I for one did NOT know that it is a cholinesterase inhibitor. In fact I did not know what a cholinesterase inhibitor is. Now that I know, I still wouldn't eat it if I started showing signs of mental deterioration. Or would I?

Here is a link that might be useful: Another type of duster

I saw the word Sevin and did a double take....I just saw this posted on another site....

".....Sevin is the second deadliest pesticide in the home garden,

rotenone 5% is the deadliest. Sevin LD 50 of 850, Rotenone5%
LD 50 of 162. (Outlawed in serveral states).

Both kill honey bees for several days after application.
Honey bees are on the endagered species list.

Next time you sit down to dinner, fill your plate, then remove about 3/4ths the food on your plate, This is what you will have without honey bees.

Many farms in CA have stopped growing melons, cukes and squash because there are not enough bees to pollinate their crops. Fruit growers are also having the same problem. "

That's not to mention the symptoms you can get from overexposure....

Early symptoms of carbamate poisoning include weakness, dizziness, and sweating. Headache, salivation, vomiting, and diarrhea are also common. Later symptoms include constricted pupils, lack of coordination, and slurred speech. As with organophosphates, tightness in the chest and coughing may precede lung failure or fluid entering the lungs.

And.....there are so many other options available that work great!! I had never used Bt before but it works great!!! I also use lady bugs and they are still out there doing their thing!!!!Control measures:

* Promote good root growth by fertilizing crops properly early in the season. Healthy plants will better withstand cucumber beetle infestations.
* Use barriers to protect young seedlings from adult beetles. Cones, row covers, or cheesecloth will keep cucumber beetles from feasting until plants are large enough to tolerate them.
* Delay planting cucurbit crops until later in the season.
* Remove and destroy and wilt-infected plants immediately.
* Plant resistant varieties, such as Blue Hubbard squash or Gemini cucumbers.